In commonly assigned copending application Ser. No. 07/893,988, filed on Jun. 2, 1992, apparatus and methods are disclosed for developing an automatic working space for laparoscopic procedures using balloon dissection. In commonly assigned copending application Ser. No. 08/570,766, filed on Dec. 12, 1995, further improvements to the apparatus and methods disclosed in application Ser. No. 07/893,988 are disclosed. The disclosure of each of these prior applications is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. The apparatus and methods disclosed in the referenced prior applications include balloon dissection apparatus with relatively large surface balloons which expand laterally and are not particularly well suited for surgical procedures on elongate structures. There is therefore a need for new and improved balloon dissection apparatus and associated methods of use for dissecting or creating space alongside elongate structures in the body.